You
by leogrl19
Summary: MoTA spoilers. Isabela has a purpose. She has Hawke. OMG. THIS IS NO LONGER A ONE-SHOT. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE WORLD?
1. You

HERE I AM! XD

Yes, yes: I've missed all of you too. (huggles) I'm going to skip past the whole 'OH MY SWEET BABY JESUS, SCHOOL IS HARD/TIME CONSUMING' bit and just get straight to the point:

Sex.

It's awesome. I wrote it. Gaile and Isabela are having it. _Yay_! I promised myself (and a few of you) that I would do this, and - as you know - I do try to keep my promises, so here it is! No cutting off on the juicy bits! You can all consider this in the same arc as My Tornado (after Morning and After, but before Ghosts), I just didn't want to change the 'T' rating for those who don't want to read this sort of jazz.

But you should. Refer to line above for reason why. ;)

So, enjoy. And Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays! Consider this my present to all of you for sticking with me and these two for as long as you have.

* * *

><p><em>"Don't you wonder what it would be like? A life with meaning – with <strong>purpose<strong>?"_

_"I…have a purpose. I have Hawke."_

_"Lucky you."_

–– –– ––

Shit. Shit, shit, _**shit**_.

Those damned words…The pirate still couldn't believe _those_ words (of all the bloody words in her exceptionally _colorful_ vocabulary) had actually managed to slip from her head, let alone her lips. If anything, she was positively brilliant at keeping things well in place whenever her mouth was involved – but, _this_…The stupid statement had come out all wrong. Well…not _entirely_ wrong – in fact, there was a chance it had been a bit _too_ right – but it wasn't supposed to come out as it so painfully did.

**Not** in some dank, vermin infested cavern.

**Not** in front of lady man-chin, of _all_ people.

And certainly **not** in some needless fuss to make a point to one blasted elf whose opinion _shouldn't _have mattered.

_And just when I was beginning to think there was a Qunari out there I could actually stand…._

Isabela scoffed, pacing the stern of her anchored beauty, a hand unconsciously trailing the wood of its polished curves as the rich rays of a setting sun painted their forms. Despite her anxious motions, the gentle sway of the waves below…the sweet lapping against the sturdy hull, still managed to soothe her. It was one of the reasons she retreated to her ship (_**her**_ ship – it was still sweet on the tongue) as soon as they arrived in Kirkwall – she needed to be away from Hawke, needed to be away from this woman who made her want to blurt such utterly _**pathetic **_things.

But thoughts were a different creature. Buzzing, prodding – she simply couldn't get those words to _**leave**_, couldn't stop the incessant loop of them rebounding in her head _again_ and _again_.

Couldn't stop the memory of Hawke's face when she had said it…Not wanting alcohol to burn the image away.

It was simple: just a smile – but her smile was everything. The softening of her features, the glint in those auburn orbs…. The smallest hint of surprise before being so utterly drowned by appreciation.

When Hawke looked at her that way, as if she were the only one who could ever matter…It was _worth _it. The constant edginess, the cursed fumbling, the prickly little bastards that tightened her throat – it was now all nauseatingly familiar, managing only to confirm a second thing in her life she wouldn't trade for the world.

But it was still _**hard**_. The pirate couldn't just become something she wasn't – something she'd never even known she _could_ be. And 'deserve' had never been a word she had any use for. She took what she wanted because she could, caring nothing for the consequences that cared so little for her. She simply couldn't be bothered waiting for happiness to fall in her lap – not when _pleasure_ was always at hand's reach – just as _good_. Then strolled in Hawke, over the course of ten years, breaking every rule she never knew she had without her even realizing it…Forcing her to acknowledge what this 'deserve' truly meant:

Hawke deserved everything she had and _more_.

She deserved nothing at all.

Now the pirate had all these tiresome expectations of herself…_Things_ pushing her to give more than the bare minimum she gave everyone else. To care more. Share more. _Be _more.

Because she wanted Hawke to stay.

The other woman had become an extension of herself, as tangible as a leg or an arm. When separated, it became almost a physical loss, a slow, dull ache until the other was near. But even still…it was more than that – more than one-sided, as if they were somehow a _fit_ for one another.

As if they somehow…belonged.

It was a thought that in equal bits terrified and thrilled…She'd known her feelings for Hawke, had eventually come to terms with them, but that Hawke could actually feel the same way, _need _a person like her…

Be her **purpose**.

_**Balls.** What have you gotten yourself into this time, Isabela?_

A tsk. "Now, now: you'll run a groove into your pretty, new ship." The city's 'Champion', Gaile Hawke, approached with her signature grin. "And Castillon just doesn't seem the 'refund' type."

"Hawke…" their eyes met and that electricity, that _feel_, that only came with her made its course down her body.

Her grin grew. "Surprised?"

Isabela shrugged, regaining a composure she'd never admit losing. "You don't board a person's ship unannounced, is all. In fact, it happens to be grounds for a good _keelhauling_." A shiver threatened to take her at the thought of _that_ particular 'punishment', the other naked, tied, and writhing about her _deck_…A slender brow rose, her arms crossing. "Beyond that, it's just rude."

"Ack – my heart! She _grieves_!" The rogue preformed extravagant arm gestures, using the Orlesian accent she'd taken a liking to ever since Château Haine. "Madame, I assure you, I am the very height of civility!" She began to sashay near, motions as teasing as they were deliberate until only a small gap lay between them. "Permission to come aboard, mon Capitaine?"

The pirate smirked, seizing the brim of the metal plate at the top of Hawke's chest and yanking her forward to capture those lips, losing herself in their softness – their taste…Tugging, nipping on the lower puff of flesh before finally releasing her. "Granted."

"_Mm_…" it rumbled low in her throat, desire darkening brown orbs; Gaile's arms made their way around her waist, squeezing while simultaneously drawing her near, "What were you thinking about?"

"Hm?" Distracted: the only thought she held now was the other's full lips and, perhaps, indulging herself once more….

"You had quite the grim expression before." One hand began to wander, trailing the curve of her corseted back. "I'll have you know, you scare half of Kirkwall when you pace like that. And, then, my 'Champion senses' start to tingle…"

Isabela rolled her eyes. "Because I'm actually thinking?"

"Because you're actually thinking." Gaile echoed, grin still in place. "Woe to us all when the mighty pirate queen takes the time to properly form a plan. Force of nature, indeed." She gave the rogue a light swat on the arm, the woman merely chuckling – until Isabela felt that subtle shift, seriousness where there was once humor. "You always run to your ship when something's troubling you. What's on your mind?"

"It's…nothing." She was instantly met with a familiar look, one that clearly told the other thought she was full of shit. "It's _silly_." Isabela amended with a sigh.

"And, in our relationship, 'silly' is strictly forbidden." Mirth danced in her eyes. "Dammit."

"Not that kind of silly, you goose. Silly as in…well, _stupid_." The pirate was always amazed at how difficult yet easy it was to talk to Hawke, how she tore these words from her and, somehow, made it _all right_. "It shouldn't be bothering me like this."

"'It'?" Even by itself, it was entirely too earnest – that bloody tone of hers filled with…that _thing _that always made her stutter and act a damned fool.

"You and I – what we…are. Now." How different it was from what they had '_been_'; her brows suddenly furrowed. "That blasted Qunari elf mucking it all up."

Gaile looked confused. "Tallis?"

"A woman who just happens to be a rogue needing your help to recover some valuable item or other for her completely virtuous reason. This all before she caught sight of your ass." It was too similar – and she had found the hard way what had taken her years to realize took far less time with a person like Tallis. "And what about you?" The pirate shot her an accusing glare, detaching from the other's hold. "Do you _have _to charm absolutely everything you come into contact with?"

"_Yes_." A broad grin. "But it's most fun charming you."

Isabela's eyes narrowed. "You're a peach."

"And you're serious about this." Her expression fell as fast as it had appeared. "I'd like to think I'm an equal opportunity charmer, that I happen to be this way with everyone – it's certainly nothing new. Tallis merely had the advantage of making me laugh along the way; call it…a little something to outweigh her flagrant betrayal. But you –" she scoffed, incredulous, "I can't believe I'm actually asking this…Is this you _jealous_?"

The pirate's gaze flicked away. "It's just principle: like having this ship." She turned, making her way toward the back of the stern, fingers, again, gliding along the wooden edge. "Sure, others want to ride her, scrub her decks, and polish her mast, but only the captain can give them permission to do so. Otherwise, it's off limits." That wasn't _**jealousy**_, it was…Hawke was _**hers**_ to…You didn't let others borrow a good thing unless you fancied it stolen – it was as simple as that. "She wanted you for herself, Hawke."

"Oh?" The rogue smirked. "Any person with a working pair of eyes wants you."

"That's…_different_." She stressed, not having a better word. "Lust's what they're after, a need for a bit of fun."

"'Fun' is what I thought we were all having – barring, of course, the many, _many_ murder attempts and the…_unfortunate_ necessity of both my hands lodged deeply within a steaming pile of wyvern shit." Gaile visibly shuddered before shaking her head, that seriousness taking over yet again. "But that's not what this is about; I can't imagine you saying all this because you're worried I led Tallis on." The other followed her trail, each word marking a step closer. "So, what, Isabela? What did I do or say that has you so angry? Because I can't apologize for it until you tell me what it is that's really bothering you." The pirate felt the woman behind her even before her first touch, Hawke securing a firm hold yet again – pressing her against the railing – lips ghosting an ear. "_Tell me_."

Isabela brokenly exhaled, nails digging into wood. _Damn her…_

It shouldn't have been a surprise – the sudden change in course, the utter loss of control; the infuriating woman always had the uncanny ability to see right through her. "It's not…It isn't anything you said. Or…did. It…" a breath, "Do you remember what I mentioned back in that cavern? To…" another, "to Tallis?"

"…Those vile, little buggers were scuffing your boots?"

"Hawke." The woman could be insufferable at times.

"That you have me." Turned around as she was, the other's stare was _still _piercing; Isabela could only nod wordlessly, thankful for small mercies as she felt heat touch her cheeks. "You do know how to surprise a girl, I'll give you that."

"I'm not saying that I own you." _Quick_– she didn't want the other woman getting the wrong idea.

"I never thought that."

The pirate exhaled again, the gnarled ball inside her chest a little looser. "Good."

Her eyes settled on the rippling sea, the myriad of colors that came with sunset reflecting off its surface like countless diamonds, giving her solace. Before…It hadn't needed words – what she and Hawke were, their…feelings – it hadn't required an explanation. But now that someone had actually challenged what she had felt, what had given her _meaning_…there was an _**ache**_ inside. And she had defended it more vehemently than she had ever thought possible….

She closed her eyes.

Hawke was still silent.

Another shaky breath.

"What…do you think?"

"About?"

Isabela gritted her teeth: _**insufferable**_. "About…what I said."

"That you have me?" She would _**kill**_ her – whip around, take her dagger, and _**stab **_her in the heart. Dump the body. "Hard to say." A short pause. "Did you mean it?"

The pirate suddenly spun round, aggravation clear in every line of her features. "What do you think, Hawke?" The other woman's face was stone, those auburn orbs still burning – _piercing_, until she was forced to glance away. "I…wouldn't say something I didn't mean, all right? Not something like that."

"Isabela." Hawke called her name, but her tone was an order: 'look up', 'meet my eyes' – she couldn't. She _just_… "Isabela…" a warm hand cradled her cheek, "Say it now."

Confusion made her chance a glance up, the other's lips as far as she could go. "What?"

"_Say it_."

Realization dawned on her, that same tone telling her everything she needed to know – even as her eyes began to tremble. "I…" she bit her lip, "have you."

"_Again_."

The pirate was about to protest, curse the other woman to the very second she ran out of breath…Until she finally saw the look in Hawke's eyes, the orbs damp with close to a…crazed desperation. Pleading. _Waiting_…Ten years. All in her eyes.

Isabela felt her chest clench and her heart leap all at once.

Another breath.

"Gaile…" amber met auburn, "I have _you_."

The rogue exhaled sharply, as if the air had been held captive for years, seizing her hand – her fingers – and placing them on the inside of her wrist. "_Look_…" _breathless_; her eyelids fluttered closed, "_Look what you do to me_…."

And it was _**too**_ much. The look – that _thing_ – swirling in those brown eyes, the pulse racing beneath her fingertips, how warm she was – the squeeze of the other's hand, how she couldn't let go even if she tried, how everything seemed to disappear…How all the sounds faded besides the rapid '_bum, bum, bum_' of Hawke's heart.

She could only form one coherent thought out of this complete overload of sensation.

_No more talking._

Isabela pounced – crashing her mouth against Hawke's, the other stealing her breath as she eagerly responded in kind. A sigh left the pirate when their bodies met, her own melting into the supple form she could still feel through the rogue's pesky armor. Everything she touched was hard and synthetic – nothing _flesh_– having to peel back fitted leather before greedily caressing the exposed skin of her neck.

The brief taste was only enough to show how much she needed _more_. The _**ache**_ inside now aware of what it had been so desperately missing.

Isabela immediately shoved Hawke backward, knocking her into one of the thick masts of the ship and pinning her with a kiss; she'd need leverage for what she had planned. Needy fingers searching for more of her slid through chestnut tresses, relishing the feel of the long, curly locks before pulling the woman's head back, Hawke's hot gasps sending a tremor down her spine.

"Naked." Her hands tugged in all the right places, already loosening the cushioned piece protecting her shoulders. "_Now_."

Gaile laughed, the pirate successfully ripping it off her and tossing it aside. "Here then?"

Isabela glanced around, as if just noticing they remained on the main deck of her ship. She certainly wouldn't have minded – neither would Hawke – but there was no way the landing workers were going to get a show of their Champion being absolutely ravished for _free_.

Besides: with what she wanted to give, it would be for Hawke's eyes only.

"Captain's quarters." Needy; the interruption was unwanted, but necessary. "Just below."

She jumped up, wrapping her booted legs around Hawke's hips and having her thighs instantly supported by strong hands. The rogue flashed one of her ridiculously attractive grins and Isabela felt another sharp pang of desire, hot and thick in her veins; the pirate rocked into the other woman, rubbing against the firm plane of her hips in an effort to alleviate a growing tension.

"Hawke…" she targeted an earlobe, grazing it lightly with her teeth, "_Hurry_."

The rogue swallowed thickly, no doubt descending the short set of stairs as quickly as she possibly could without seriously injuring them both. The very moment Hawke's feet hit the lower deck, Isabela released her hold, taking her lips again, a tongue slipping into her mouth while the other trapped and gently suckled it. The pirate moaned into the kiss, hands resuming their task of trying to strip the Champion of her many layers, while also leading her toward her cabin's door. Managing to unclasp the clawed gauntlets that prevented her lover from anything but the most careful touches, Isabela moved next to undo the metal strips covering her collarbone and waist, only to fumble on the clasps that held them.

She pulled away from Hawke's lips with a frustrated grunt. "Why is your armor always so damned complicated?" Her nails snagged on three, purely decorative cords adorning her leather jacket. "I swear, sometimes, you're harder to screw than an Orlesian."

"But don't I look _fabulous_?" Gaile winked when her brows knitted together. "The better to tease you with, my dear."

"Teasing is for amateurs. You would do best staying naked all day."

"A pity armor does such a great job of keeping me alive."

She smirked. "You and your needs."

"Yes." Her eyes, her voice – each took on a deliciously darker quality as Hawke suddenly reversed their positions, forcing her, face forward, against the cabin door. "My _needs_."

Deft fingers freed the clasp of her necklace as her lover buried her face into the newly bared skin, inhaling her scent before nibbling along the sensitive flesh of her neck – immediately smoothing each bite afterward with her tongue.

"In that cavern…every part of me _ached_. I wanted to have my way with you. Throw you against a rock and take you right then." She felt her headscarf loosen and slip away as Hawke brushed her hair to the side.

"_Ooh_…" Isabela ground against her, aroused beyond reason, "Why _didn't _you?"

"I thought we'd traumatized poor Aveline enough over the years." The pirate chuckled, closing her eyes when the other pressed a kiss to the nape of her neck, just _breathing_. "But it was hard – near impossible. Having to wait, and wait…" she claimed the area with her teeth, "_Maddening_."

"Well," she grunted; another bite, "you have me now."

"I do." Gaile spun her in place, their eyes instantly locking. "I have you, Isabela. No one else."

The searing look in those auburn orbs was enough to make her inner walls clench, it an almost painful reminder of her throbbing arousal. "_Mhm_…" she captured Hawke's free hand, bringing it to the wetness between her thighs, "Look what you do to _me_."

They both moaned, the rogue's fingers jerking upward, in what seemed an involuntary reflex, as a deep shudder wreaked havoc on the pirate's nerves from the fleeting touch alone. A low, needy sound escaped Hawke, the woman seizing her lips as she managed to twist the knob on the door and forcefully kick it open. They spilled into the room, kiss teeth and tongue as the other's hand stroked her inner thigh before completely slipping away from the part of her that so fiercely needed attention.

Isabela whined from the loss as Hawke reached around her instead, expertly plucking the ties of her dark corset until it tumbled to the floor. Breaking for air, the woman began to nibble along her jaw, that illusive hand of hers now working on the steel pauldron at her arm.

"So…this is where you live." The pirate could hear the grin in her voice, despite her oh-so distracting actions. "Not bad."

It was the first time she had let Hawke below deck since acquiring her ship, the pirate needing time to rip out the horrid collection of mustard colored velvets and satins that once lined absolutely everything. Now, ebbing orange rays splayed about the cabin's wooden walls, the palate of her new fabrics deep, briny blues and rich, vibrant golds.

"It was a pain in the ass…but it _is _livable now, so there's something."

Her lips brushed the underside of her chin before firmly latching to her neck, tongue swirling the taunt, offered flesh. "It fits you well…"

"So do your fingers." A hitch in her breathing, the other sucking on her pulse point. "Did I mention you still have far too much clothing on?"

Gaile caught her hand, the fingers she mentioned making their way back up her arm while the rogue slowly – purposely – led her backward. "I want to give you something."

A complete shift: in _that_ tone, no less; Isabela felt the start of another shiver at her spine. "What?"

"_Everything_." Her pauldron fell with a light thud. "This." Her elbow guard followed. "_Me_." One, two, three straps – the leather glove then tugged from her fingers. "But I need to take you first. Your body…" the other's touch only exemplified the nakedness of her arm, every brush of skin leaving goosebumps…Brown eyes flicked up, "_You_."

Desire pooled low and panic struck her all at once. "Hawke…"

"One night." A decree – yet, somehow, still begging. "_Slow_…" that electrifying hand trailed the length of her other arm, repeating the process and stripping it of everything, "_Thorough_…" her touch dipped low, settling on the knot of the wrap at her waist until only their bodies held it when she stopped, "Isabela. I want to give you…everything." Repeated, almost helplessly – as if there could be no other word.

The pirate's first instinct was to deny her – to get away from…_**this**_, as fast as possible – flip their positions, push her to the bed and straddle her until she forgot all about this silly, 'slow' talk – and the sex would _still_ be fantastic, _still_ everything she'd hoped…Only it wouldn't. Because of that look. Because of what was _in_ that look. Shinning in her eyes more than anything else.

**Patience**.

Always that damned patience, as if she would wait for her forever. And something deep inside said she _would_. That even if she did say 'no', and acted as if this never happened, the woman would still want to _please_ her. Because Hawke was Hawke. Because Hawke…

Was so…_**good**_.

Isabela exhaled, biting a trembling lip before giving a barely perceptible nod.

And then came that smile of hers – _immediate_– brighter than the flickering candles, making everything in her chest too tight.

The wrap between them fell, a fleeting cascade of blue as Gaile resumed their pace, claiming her lips in a way she couldn't describe until the back of her knees hit against the bed. Daggers removed, the pirate allowed herself to fall back, exhaling again when she hit the mattress, fingers strangling the sheets. A dip of the bed and her grip tightened, a lump forming in her throat as her eyes darted to a wall, flicking back and forth between strips of wood – studying their grain as she attempted to shun memories of other nights. Nights bereft of choice with their unwanted advances. A slow, hovering form – _**conquering**_– as an uncaring knee spread her thighs….

"Isabela…" a mouth pressed against hers, kissing her with contradictions: hard and soft; rough and gentle, "Stay with me…"

That _taste_. Skin, hair, touch.

_Hawke_.

Fingers slipped through the gaps of her hand and the pirate sighed, hesitating…before settling on the intricate tattoo on her forehead; the other woman's dark mane draped her face, hiding the shadows of the room.

"There you are." Her smile was _blinding_.

"I'm…" the bridge of a nose, an eyebrow – until she finally met auburn, brows furrowing, "no good at this, Hawke."

"_Shhh_…" the rogue descended again, tongue tracing the bottom of her lip before lowering to her stud, swirling the orb, nipping the skin just below it, "_Trust me_."

Another hungry kiss: stealing her words, it everything all at once – biting, licking, sucking – an _inferno_ against her lips, kindling her thoughts – utterly halting them – until all she could do was lie there and _take_ it. A need for air had them both panting, her body tensing as the other trailed kisses along her face, _leisurely_ and _reverent_…The pirate closed her eyes, not knowing what to do with this…**heavy**, _thick _feeling within her chest – it making her irritable – and restless – and edgy – and…and…

_**Afraid**_.

_Shit_.

This wasn't sex. Sex didn't _do_ this to her. This was…It was too _deep_. It was too _close_.

She _hadn't_…

_Slow_.

She'd _never_…

_Thorough_.

She didn't know what to _**do**_.

"_Breathe_." A heated whisper at her ear, Hawke following its curve with her tongue.

And out of the pure sensation, it was as if only _**her **_word gave permission to do so, the air leaving her in three, shaky gasps.

And when she inhaled, she was taking Gaile _in_.

The tightly wound coil in her body slowly began to unfurl, focusing on that scent. Focusing on the woman who carried it. **Strong**. _Heady_…. How its effect on her was always _indescribable_.

_**Breathe**_.

_One_– Hawke traveled her body, leaving kisses wherever her fingers touched.

_Two_– her eyes fluttered, the moon brighter as the other's hot mouth burned through her clothes.

_Three_– hands slid up her skin, a fizzy, electric thrill as her tunic was bundled to her waist.

Isabela gasped, heat surging beneath her skin as that thick, heavy feeling only continued to grow – it now something…_strange_ and _wonderful_. No longer _**paralyzing**_– allowing her to just…

_Feel_.

Everything.

She just had to keep _breathing_.

_One_– the last of her tunic peeled upward and discarded, the rogue's mouth on hers again – it slow and deep as their tongues twisted and writhed.

_Two_ – the process repeated, the other's lips _everywhere_ – but now, there was no barrier – it so much _more_: just Hawke, and her skin and…_sensation_.

_Three_– her leg lifted, boot straps, one by one, unbuckled as burning sucks and nibbles branded the newly bared flesh revealed with each downward tug.

The rogue nestled herself between her legs, a single finger deliberately trailing her hip until snagging against the thin, black material of her smallclothes; she lazily inched them down, her other hand securing the pirate's leg to her mouth as she hummed appreciatively against the flexed skin behind her knee, the sound _vibrating_ right through her body.

Isabela shivered. "H-Hawke…"

Gaile stopped, sultry gaze dragging up her body like a physical touch before halting at her face, the look in her eyes making her squirm like a damned virgin.

She faltered, for once, not knowing what to say or how to say it. The pirate knew what she felt: the mounting urgency, the finely taut tension – all of it coming to a boil and begging for release…But this was different. Something else needed attention, that thing that only the other touched.

And, whatever **that** was, she needed it. She needed it _now_.

"Just…" she couldn't handle teasing – not after all of this – the utter attention lavished on her body, "_do _it, all right?"

Gaile smirked, and Isabela wanted to kick that sexy, smug expression off her bloody face – **until **fingers firmly pressed against the soft flesh between her thighs, the brushing digits easily slipping past her slick folds.

A sharp jolt of pleasure and her hips shot up from the mattress, moans spilling from her lips as her thighs involuntarily clamped on those delicious fingers, head tossing back into her pillow.

_Maker, **yes**_.

_**This**_.

Two fingers slowly circled inside her only to change their pace and pump into her faster – the other woman teasing even now as she continued to litter what skin remained in her reach with burning kisses. A leg unconsciously locked around Hawke's back, pulling her – _needing_ her – closer, her pelvis frantically rocking back and forth with the movement of that hand.

Without warning, Gaile apprehended the leg still lying against the mattress, lifting it with her free hand and placing it on her shoulder. She gasped, the rogue nibbling along her raised thigh before slipping a third finger in, tugging her near, each thrust of her fingers driving even deeper than the last.

Isabela cried out, a long, throaty moan positively ripped from her as those long fingers began to _curl_.

A startling rush took her, the hand lying on her breast, pinching her nipple, now trembling – an inexplicable need to catch the other's gaze smoldering within. Hawke said nothing, focused on watching her, taking in her every reaction – auburn orbs _piercing_. And her senses couldn't keep up.

Her back arched.

Her toes curled.

And it's…too fast.

_Too fast_.

But even she can't deny how every touch is…_stronger_ than usual, leaving her shaken and breathless. Her mind blanked. The thick, heavy feeling that plagued her before was now remarkably lighter, _brighter_– filling her chest like a flaring light, moving to meet the tremendous heat traveling up from the apex between her legs. She didn't know what would happen when they did – only that the light inside her began to spill outward, bleeding into her fading vision.

The pirate shut her eyes.

Sparks burned at the back of her eyelids, body growing heavy and numb to everything but those fingers, still furiously pounding within her. Only feeling the need for them to _push her over_.

A drawn out second where everything **stopped**.

And then the brilliant light and searing heat _**crashed**_, their explosion engulfing her.

An otherworldly shout exploded from her mouth, Hawke's name heavy on her tongue.

Isabela shuddered, small jerks of her hips beyond her control as tiny thrills still shot throughout her body, her breaths quaky and erratic.

"Not too bad, hm?" Gaile withdrew her fingers, voice clearly conveying she already knew the answer. "I especially liked the part where you screamed my name. Fantastic job there."

A smile took her lips without her even realizing it, a chuckle bubbling within her as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

And with the woman before her, it _was_.

What she felt now…something beyond pleasure. Something, before Hawke, she would have never thought possible. Happiness: the light still inside her, comfortably settling in her chest. The pirate opened her eyes, looking up to Gaile's face, seeing the grin there but there something behind it, something genuine and unexpected…And she needed…She _needed_ to-

Isabela reclaimed the leg that was propped on the other's shoulder, joining it with its twin still wrapped around Hawke's back and tugging her forward, forcing their lips together as she met halfway, slipping a tongue in her mouth.

Pulling back for air, she hesitated, remembering what she promised. "You're…satisfied, then?"

Gaile chuckled. "For now. I'm surprised you held out as long as you did." The rogue went in for another kiss, their tongues engaging in a slow dance. "Thank you."

The pirate smirked, flipping them over and straddling the other woman, reclaiming her rightful position on top. "I'll be having my way with you now."

"I'd be sorely disappointed otherwise." Hawke's hands fell to her sides, two audible clicks heard as she effortlessly undid the latches holding the metal plates around her torso, propping up while she pulled the straps that held them from under her; she shot the woman a dirty look. "What? I'm a _helper_."

Isabela scoffed as she tore the piece off, flinging it in some unimportant direction before her hands pulled at the leather pauldrons cradling her arms, untying the strands that held them bound about her shoulders. The rest of the rogue's armor was mercifully simple: her fingers easily freed the newly revealed buttons of her jacket lined at her throat and clavicle.

"You're getting _warmer_…" Gaile whispered, amusement apparent.

The pirate peeled back the released lapel, finally exposing flesh as she bit down on the meaty part where her shoulder and neck met, Hawke grunting. Her hands found their way under the other's patterned shirt, sighing as the woman under her gasped, delighting in the simple _feel_ of her, the small spasms of muscle. Bunching the tattered ends of the patterned cloth, both shirt and jacket were rolled upward, the other lifting her arms and allowing it to be dragged over her head.

Smallclothes removed like the deterrent that they were, her eyes devoured the smooth, caramelized skin, quivering, waiting for her touch. The pirate hadn't the patience for teasing – she couldn't handle it herself – but she would give her lover a fleeting pleasure before pushing her to her edge.

A hand cupped the soft mound of her breast, a long, slow sweep of her tongue gently caressing an already hardened nipple. The effect was immediate: the other cried out and arched into her, fingers tangling in her hair, scratching at her scalp and pressing her closer. Her free hand massaged its lovely twin as the pirate continued to lick, nip, and suck, pausing only to repeat the same process on her other breast, the sighs and moans flowing from Hawke's mouth only growing more urgent.

Giving one last nip and swirl, Isabela released the swollen nipple, chuckling from the deprived whimper that left Gaile.

"There's something much better I can do with these lips of mine. Just you wait."

She trailed said lips down the other's toned stomach, pausing only to lick a small bump of a scar right before the hem of her cloth pants. She yanked the fabric down, tearing off the leather greaves wrapped around her thigh and knee before sliding the remaining length of the pants down her legs.

Isabela settled between her thighs, holding her gaze before lowering her head to kiss the highly responsive skin and then, very deliberately, licking the length of her slit.

_Delicious_…

A strangled moan left Hawke as she probed deeper, the other's hips twitching as she began to suck on the hardened nub deep inside her, a shudder traveling the length of the rogue's body. Isabela pulled away, adding her fingers where her tongue had been, wanting to witness what she did to the woman beneath her.

A clawed hand dragged down her breast, sliding down her belly with the obvious need to do _something_– Gaile moaning before licking her lips, eyes partly open and lids weighted with passion.

She'd never been more turned on by the sight of another's pleasure.

The same body, over and over – she thought she'd be bored with it. She _had_ been bored with it. Before…But Hawke was nothing like that man, now was she? There was something different with her, something that didn't need a name. Not as long as the thrill was still there as the pirate used every bit of knowledge she had on the woman's body to give her the absolute best fuck possible.

She felt the other's inner walls start to ripple against her fingers.

"_Bela_…"

"I know, pet." Another lick, her fingers flexing. "Let it go. You'll feel _much _better."

The other woman writhed and squirmed: rolling against her tongue and fingers, panting and then holding her breath before panting once more.

Wanting release. Needing only the tinniest _push_.

Isabela lowered a single finger, circling once before thrusting it in her ass.

Gaile screamed herself hoarse, hips lifting clear off the bed as uncontrollable tremors wracked her body, legs stiffening. She shivered uncontrollably, soundless cries as her hips gradually came to rest on the mattress, fingers writhing in her chestnut locks.

_Gorgeous_.

Desire spiked within her, a molten touch to her spine. "Once more…"

The pirate's hands dove beneath her, the other's gasp becoming a moan as their bodies pressed together, Isabela slipping between her legs so their cores touched. They both cried out, falling into an easy, primal rhythm as they ground against each other with a sensual force.

Isabela pressed closer, gripping the other's arm, her leg – reveling in the wonderful feeling of flesh on flesh, that golden, syrupy feeling trickling down as the other woman rocked and convulsed against her.

Fingers glided effortlessly across Hawke's skin, but touched something deeper.

Cries and breathless moans escaped them as they moved in sync.

Taking each other's air – thundering hearts beating at the same time.

And though a small voice in her head told her it was absolute rubbish, she can see _stars_….

As the edges of her consciousness began to fray, Isabela felt the other's lips pressing against hers, moaning, breathing in _light_– it more than enough, sending her spiraling into an ecstasy that devastated her senses.

Gaile collapsed, leaning heavily against her as Isabela managed to flip them again, falling back onto the bed with the woman on top of her, both of them panting until their breaths eventually slowed and evened out.

"Isabela…"

"…Hawke?"

The rogue swallowed another gulp of air. "_Holy shit_."

The pirate laughed, burrowing into the crook of her neck.

Silence. Warm and comfortable.

None of the walls. None of the guards.

Just _them_.

Until-

"I'm sorry."

Isabela immediately lifted, brow raised. "What brought this on?"

"I did say I would apologize after finding out what bothered you." The easy grin on her lips faltered, her brows downturning. "Making you go through what you did – with Tallis…I…don't want you beating yourself up over how you feel." The pads of her fingers trailed her cheek. "I don't want you doubting if I feel the same."

"Gaile…"

The other's expression became almost pained, eyes glancing away. "There are…all these things I want to tell you – that are only _for_ you, but…I don't. Because it isn't worth it. Because I couldn't stand it if-" that vulnerable flicker, "if I became that reason."

Isabela brushed away a sweaty strand of hair. "Reason for what?"

The other finally looked up. "You running off again."

A vice seized her chest. "Don't." The word was pulled from her before she even knew she had said it. "I…It can't be all at once. I'm not…used to that sort of thing. But…" a sigh, "I don't want you holding back because of me. And I don't want you thinking I don't want to hear them. Because…I _do_, Hawke." Even when the woman on top of her did well enough showing her feelings without words…She gazed into those auburn eyes, seeing the worries, kissing them away. "For now, just…know that I meant what I said."

_That _smile. "I'm glad."

Isabela wrapped her arms around her back as Gaile nuzzled against her, pulling her close.

She had a ship.

She had _Hawke_.

Her eyes began to close, breathing the other in.

_Lucky me_.


	2. Prelude

So, I promised myself I wouldn't focus on anything Gaile/Bela until I published chapter 3 of my Merrill/Hawke story...That didn't happen, those two are never far from my mind, but I DID wait to publish this, at least. So, ha! Take that conscience!

This, my darlings, is a short - a prelude, in fact, to 'You'. The wonderful Heath Wingwhit and I have been trading shorts (with some *amazing* results on her end - if you haven't read them already, DO EET) for a while now and since she was gracious enough to share some of hers, I suppose I can be just as giving in return. ;)

That, and it kinda belongs here. You'll see why when you read it. Also remember that this story is rated M. And I didn't post it in My Tornado, _so_...

* * *

><p>"Are you married?"<p>

"Is that a proposal?" The elf's inquiry had been sudden, blurted in a way that made Gaile spin on her heels to show her grin; she and the other woman played a game of sorts, one where the elf would try not to stare and she would catch her in the act regardless. "Oh, _Tallis_: I do believe my heart's all _aflutter_."

Pink touched the other's cheeks, the crooked smile given for her words making her own expression grow. "I haven't lost my touch, then. Good to know…" the rogue continued to amble backwards, catching the new, telling sway of Tallis' hips before meeting her eyes, "Though, you can't really blame me for being curious. There are…a fair amount of rumors floating around about you."

"Only good things, I hope." She chuckled. "I do try oh-so hard to be on my very best behavior."

"Funny: most of what I've heard implied the exact opposite." Gaile raised an interested brow, an encouragement for the other to go on. "A dashing rogue with a tongue as sharp as her blades, fixing about as many problems as she creates. And then there's the small part about you stealing young women's virtue and winning the heart of any man you set your sights on." There was a twinkle in her eyes. "Sound about right?"

"Besides a, frankly, morbid obsession with saving the day and riding off into the sunset?" She smirked. "_Yes_."

Tallis laughed. "I thought so. I admit, when I first heard all the things people had to say about the infamous Champion of Kirkwall, I thought most of the stories exaggerated and that I'd likely be disappointed." It was only a moment, the elf's gaze flicking away from her own before returning, "But now, after meeting you…"

"I've summarily exceeded your _wildest_ expectations?"

That crooked smile. "I'm _impressed_." She stressed the last word and Gaile tsked; the elf was a wonderful tease. "Which is why I'm sure others would be as well. Add that to that big, fancy title of yours and, well…" she shrugged, "I don't know. One would think there would be a husband behind the throne." Those pale eyes held that adorable diffidence once more. "A person who's managed to catch that fluttering heart of yours?"

"_That…_is a very good question." Isabela approached them both, positively strutting from…wherever it was she'd wandered off to, the smirk in her tone as unmistakable as the one on her lips. "Does the Champion have a person to strain those vocal cords?" Their eyes met, the pirate's issuing a silent sort of challenge. "Leave her sore in all the right places?"

"Oh, she _does_…" a grin, "though, that has little to do with her heart." She winked at Tallis, the elf coloring once more before surveying the area. "Let's split up here. This clearing is as good as any to set camp and I'd like to gather the essentials before we're all fumbling in the dark." The rogue walked off, offering a two-fingered salute. "Let's see what nature's bounty has provided for us tonight, shall we?"

A path was chosen at random, Gaile following the winding trail only to be enveloped by the sounds of rustling leaves, chirping birds – her own soft footfalls against the vibrant grass. The sun hung low in the sky, pools of gold spilling unto the forest floor, the tall shadows of the trees to the left and right of her stretching forward and creating a dark bridge to walk on.

She closed her eyes.

Forests brought back so many memories, hiding right beneath her eyelids…Of Lothering, of her family – how much she loved to explore as a child. How much trouble she would find.

How very _simple_ everything had been.

If only she'd known how it would all end….

Maybe-

_Maybe_…

A branch snapped.

The rogue smirked.

"Isabela, I fear you haven't quite captured the meaning of 'split up'…"

The pirate slipped from behind a tree, steps no longer delicate and careful. "I'm looking for water – you just happen to be going in the direction I feel its in."

"_Ah_."

"There's a lake a ways off from here," she continued on as if nothing were said, "hopefully I'll bump into it soon. I've always had a knack for finding water…All these twigs and leaves make my throat itch." Without even looking, Gaile felt the other's eyes on her. Searching. "Is there a reason you're standing in the middle of a forest with your eyes closed?" The sound of footsteps drew near. "Do you want one of those ghasts to pop up from the ground to eat you?"

"I was hoping for a wevryn, actually. I've always wanted to go out with a bang, but a toxic spew of death is a close second…." An eye opened, a myriad of greens and browns meeting her again. "Forests…They don't really have them in Kirkwall, do they? Being in one now…I suppose I'm a bit nostalgic."

Isabela walked past her. "You like them?"

Gaile followed. "I like what they represent." _Freedom_. The _Unknown_…She chuckled. "My forest is your sea."

"Depths that seem endless with all sorts of dangerous critters roaming about." Light licked the heels of her boots. "A sea of trees. I could see the comparison – but there's absolutely nothing like being on the open water, with nothing between you and the horizon."

A broad grin. "You'll just have to show me. When we sail away on your ship."

Isabela glanced back at her – something new in those eyes – something _soft_ and _fleeting_ – a gentler curve to her lips – before she looked away.

Silence.

Dappled light playing against their forms as they traveled down the path.

"So." The slightest pause. "Tallis."

"Tallis…"

"She's fairly pretty. And obviously interested. I'm sure she'd drop her knickers in a second if you'd asked."

Her fingers examined the leaves of a bush. "You think so?"

The pirate chuckled. "If she threw herself at you any harder…" Another pause. "Wait. You really don't see it, do you?" She scoffed. "You've never done well with the obvious." Gaile raised a brow; the other did not turn. "What catches that eye of yours these days, hm? The gaze of a Champion…Who wouldn't feel important?" Something in the way she walked, the way her shoulders stiffened… "Who could resist?"

A second bush. More leaves. "You've never cared for my title."

"It's more trouble than its worth."

More silence.

Gaile stared at the woman's corseted back…before looking up with a smirk. "It's your lake." Another clearing: the dying sun reflected off the pool's rippled surface in the distance, a melancholy of orange and yellow. "I suppose there was something to your story after all."

The other's hand brushed the trunk of a tree, seemingly disinterested in the sight. "Do you like her?"

The rogue shrugged, another action unseen. "Don't you?"

"Do you _want_ her?" Isabela stopped walking. "Look, if you want to fuck her…"

"You're willing to share?" The other whipped around. "Try this." She pressed a berry to the pirate's lips, not breaking their gazes until it was accepted. Their bodies almost touched. Gaile grinned. "Good?"

Isabela swallowed. "I don't understand you. You always make things so damned…" her brows furrowed, "_difficult_." Amber orbs fell to the ground. "Even when you think you don't."

Her expression grew, a berry plopped in her own mouth. "How _similar_ we are!"

The other frowned. "What do you like most, Hawke? Us, together – what's your favorite part?" Her eyes were bright, her tone a stretched cord. "The same tricks, over and over – things are bound to get boring. Things _will _get boring. It's all right to be bored. I never expected you to bed just me." Her lips curled. The pattern was familiar. "Even you're human."

"Mm." Gaile leaned forward, the last inch taken, capturing those lips, tasting the derision and berry in equal measure – _consuming _her – until Isabela moaned against her, nails digging into leather – into flesh – as she parted with hot gasps. The rogue licked her lips. "I should be grateful." Their eyes collided. "You still have no idea what you do to me…"

A pause.

A grin.

She's startled her. But the recovery's quick.

The pirate smirked.

"And if I knew _exactly_ what I did to you?" Fingers dragged from her neck to brush along her clavicle – only to graze lower.

"Then you would have to prove it, of course, the vindictive pirate that you are." Gaile pressed closer, anything to feel even the briefest shift of the other's supple curves. "A chance to put the Champion in her place?" Her lips brushed an ear. "How could _you_ resist?"

Amber orbs gleamed with mischief, light and dark all at once as the other raised her free hand to undo the tie of her headscarf; chocolate tresses spilled from the loosened fabric, freed curls draping her shoulders.

A hitch in her breathing. "That…is a very good start." Regardless of how many times she'd seen it, there was something about the other's hair when lacking its usual cover; wild and unrestrained – **_sinful_** – dark curtains against her face, setting her eyes on _fire_.

Setting **her **on _fire_.

The pirate gave a light shake of her head, tousling the strands further. "You like this?"

"Oh, I _do_." Her fingers tangled in the silken locks, hand snaking to the back of her head. "Almost. As much as…" she captured the other's lips again, slipping in a tongue, alternating between suckling and writhing – savoring her _taste_, a firm hand holding the pirate where she was.

Isabela suddenly bit her lip and she gasped, the woman sucking on the lower puff of flesh before gradually releasing it. "I think I need a bath." A low purr that made all of her _shiver_. "Do you think I need a bath?"

She grinned.

Her lover traced the curve of her lips before lowering her to the ground, a booted leg immediately offered across her lap.

"Take them off."

The words _alone_…her body _throbbed_ in response.

Gaile swallowed thickly, hands, at times, fumbling at the buckles whenever Isabela decided to suddenly grind her thigh against where she positively _ached_.

_Sweet Maker_, friction was a _wondrous_ thing….

Finishing her arduous, but oh-so gratifying, task, she secured the foot of each boot as the pirate leisurely slipped out of them, revealing the flawless, bronzed skin of long, toned legs – withdrawing both before the rogue could get her hands on them.

She pouted. "Now you're just being cruel."

Isabela merely smirked, standing to her feet before turning away. The pirate held her headscarf with two fingers alone, the silken fabric flowing with the liquid sway of her hips as she walked toward the lake…before it was released, blue falling to the ground. The trend continued. Bit by bit, her outfit came apart: shawl unraveled, corset plucked, daggers discarded, armor stripped – until only her tunic remained, its tapered ends fluttering in the breeze.

A glance was cast over her shoulder, the dark drape of her hair shifting.

Full lips parted.

Golden orbs burned.

All of her **_intentions_**. All in a moment.

Gaile couldn't recall how to _breathe_…

The tunic was apprehended, lazily rolled up the curves of her body, peeled from her breasts, and then unceremoniously tossed away. Suddenly, both hands were at her hips, a natural, fluid motion, fingers hooking on either side of her smallclothes, each footfall taken, bringing another tug downward.

A step.

An inch.

A step.

Another.

Until the flimsy fabric fell away. And she was finally revealed in all her naked glory.

The sun appeared to covet her skin, pools of gold peeking through the trees, washing over her form…Shinning rays kissing – nestling against her curves.

The pirate a _wild_, **beautiful** thing.

_So beautiful_….

There was no hesitation: Isabela sprung into the lake, like a fish that had found water, entering its murky depths with a crash, countless ripples spreading from her influence. The rogue watched the woman's shadowy form, flashes of brown every now and again until she disappeared completely.

Gaile waited. Shedding her daggers. Closing her eyes.

_Three_…

_Two_…

The pirate ascended as she entered, a second crash as she broke through the surface of the water – it covering her like a second skin, blurring the lines between them. A cascade of brown, the dark tendrils of her hair latching almost desperately to her flesh, cradling her face, as countless droplets fell from the strands.

Looking at her now…She was speechless. Caught between a constant desire and something she could never voice aloud.

Isabela smirked. _Maker help her, _she was **_gorgeous_**. "Coming?"

"Soon." A breathy chuckle. "If you're as good as you say you are." They traded grins; Gaile made her approach. "Straining my voice." She removed her boot. "Leaving me sore in all the right places…" The other. "A Champion is nothing but fair." A grin. "However can I repay you?

Soft lapping as the pirate moved to meet her. "I can think of a few ways."

Her feet touched the bank, the rogue dropping to her knees. "Do tell…"

"For one, it involves you being far…" her eyes gleamed, "_closer_."

"_How close_?" A whisper.

Isabela swam up, breasts exposed as her arm left the water, a thumb hooking on her belt, jerking her near. "_This close_…"

"I see…" Their lips met in a practiced rhythm, water and flesh as Gaile drunk her in, reveling in the _coos_ and _moans_ – from her, from Isabela – until she was pulling the woman up with her to land, hovering over her supple, wet body.

The pirate gazed up behind dark lashes, annoyance mixed with lust; she had overstepped her boundaries.

The rogue would make it so she wouldn't mind.

Two fingers slipped inside her, stretching, flexing; they had already had their foreplay, the foreplay had been everything that came before – and there was no time to waste. "I love how you feel, the small jerks of your hips…The sounds you make." The other moaned as if summoned, rocking against the force of her digits. "Breathless. _Needy_…Does it turn you on being near the water like this?" Her free hand played with a hardened nipple. "Being finger fucked by a lake?"

Isabela shivered.

Oh, it **_did_**_. _

Gaile's fingers abandoned the nipple, sliding down the pirate's ribs to gain access to her back, pulling her near, leaving bites and kisses along her neck – _thrusting_ harder. "_More_." More of the sounds, more of the shudders – it was _never_ enough – she could never get **_enough_**; the rogue lapped up the tiny beads of water that settled in the valley between her breasts. "_More_, Isabela."

"_Hawke_…" A cry. A _plea_.

A grin. "You're close?"

The question was rhetorical. Her slick walls clenched and rippled against her fingers in a telltale way.

A third was slipped in.

Isabela screamed and she swallowed it with a kiss. One, _two_ – **_three_** more deep thrusts and the pirate trembled, uncontrollable quakes spreading from her center, eyes screwed shut in something both pleasure and pain.

They broke away panting.

She will **_never_** forgive her lungs for being so consistently needy.

The rogue stroked the other's cheek, watched as she basked in the afterglow. "You know…" a damp lock was brushed away, "there's no need to worry." The pirate opened her eyes. "I could never be bored of this."

It's the look in those orbs–

She's startled her again.

"Worry?" Isabela's voice was soft. Her eyes away. "About what?"

Gaile chuckled, leaning down to kiss her.


End file.
